Guatemala, Worry Dolls and Guiro Review!
This week in music class, students learned about Guatemala, and the climate there, as well as the Mayan tradition of worry dolls! In case you have never heard of them, Mayan worry dolls are a popular part of Guatemalan culture. The small hand-made dolls, which are often sold as a part of the tourist industry, are an interesting form of "stress relief." Anyone who is worrying can tell their concerns to the worry doll, place it under their pillow before bed, and "sleep" on their concerns, letting go of anxiety and allowing the worry doll to take it on.
We looked at worry doll pictures and had fun winding some yarn around our very own makeshift worry doll. I also got to have an interesting conversation with three and four-year-olds about what they worry about. Moms and dads leaving for work were among the chief concerns, with tornadoes and hurricanes coming in at a close second.
As we talked I was reminded of how sensitive children are to media and current events. Many of the children expressed fear when talking about hurricanes and storms (understandably so!) and I did my best to validate those fears while reinforcing their safety.
It's so important to have conversations with our children about how to manage their emotions and find stress-relieving options that work for them. Perhaps at your house, a worry doll might be worth a try!
After we passed the worry doll around, we also enjoyed reviewing with the guiro and singing our song about fall leaves that ends in a little game of peekaboo with a scarf. Hilarity always ensues--it' funny how much the children always love hiding for a moment under the handkerchief!
Don't forget to check out the extender questions at the bottom of this post!
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD
1. Can you tell me about the worry doll in music class? What color was the yarn wrapped around its body? Did it have a sad face or a happy face? (The face on the doll was happy!)
2. Do you want to tell me your worries?
